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Adam Taylor

Justin Bieber at the Yasukuni Shrine image from his Instagram page. Photo: Supplied

Justin Bieber has a habit of getting into trouble, but nothing may have quite prepared the Canadian pop star for the scale of the geopolitical situation he just got himself into in Japan.

The problem arose when the 20-year-old posted two photos to his Instagram page that appeared to show his visit to the Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo. Both pictures have now been deleted, but not before they spread around the world. The reaction visible online has been largely negative.

Bieber doesn't appear to know what the Yasukuni Shrine is; he simply says "thank you for your blessings" with the first picture. But to many of his 16 million Instagram followers in Asia, Yasukuni is perhaps one of the most offensive locations on Earth.

Justin Bieber at the Yasukuni Shrine. Photo: Supplied

Boy genius Justin Beiber has paid his respects at the Yasukuni shrine. You can't make this stuff up. On ANZAC day, no less, – George Henderson (@puddleg)
April 23, 2014

Justin Beiber = class A idiot . Yasukuni Shrine, really? Not only did he just lose every Chinese fan he ever had but also spreading hate. – David Schmidt (@DavidSchmidt)
April 23, 2014

Yasukuni is a shrine to the 2.5 million men, women and children who died serving the Japanese Empire between 1868 and 1945. Controversially, those honoured include thousands of soldiers from World War II, and as of 1978, 14 Class A war criminals.

Bieber, in a later Instagram post, apologised for the visit.

"I was mislead [sic] to think the Shrines were only a place of prayer," the post said. "To anyone I have offended I am extremely sorry. I love you China and I love you Japan."

It remains to be seen what kind of damage the photos could cause for the singer in Asia. For many in China, Korea and other Asian nations, Yasukuni represents the worst of Japan's imperial militarism. And yet, Japanese leaders have continued to visit it for years. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe visited the shrine last December despite protests from both China and South Korea, and sent an offering to it on Monday – a controversial gesture just days before an official visit to Japan by US President Barack Obama.

Critics of Japan argue that the repeated visits to Yasukuni show that the country has never truly deplored its aggressive behaviour during the imperial period. Under Mr Abe, the problem appears to have gotten worse. For example, Mr Abe has disputed accounts of Japan's wartime use of Chinese, Korean and south-east Asian sex slaves, angering many in those nations. It's a marked contrast from Japan's former ally, Germany, which has been at pains to distance itself from Nazi-era aggression and has prioritised reconciliation with its one-time foes. Chinese President Xi Jinping apparently hoped to point this out when he requested an official visit to Berlin's Holocaust Memorial during a recent trip to the city. (Germany, not wishing to become embroiled in an international incident, refused.)

World War II might seem a long time ago, but tensions still run high, especially in China, where a restaurant owner briefly became an online celebrity last year after putting a sign reading "Yasukuni Shrine" above his toilets. (In 2011, a Chinese man attempted to burn down the shrine using homemade explosives). The situation has become especially difficult recently due to a small group of islands in the East China Sea known as the Senkaku Islands by Japan and the Diaoyu Islands by China. These islands are administered by Japan but claimed by China and Taiwan. This is one of the most fraught geopolitical situations in the world right now; some analysts have argued that the site could eventually become the spark that sets off World War III.

Bieber's impromptu trip to Yasukuni comes at a quite unfortunate time, too. The Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands, and all the historical baggage that comes with them, will likely be a key part of Mr Obama's Asia trip. Hopefully, the only damage done is to the pop star's Chinese record sales.